East Lansing May Try to Reduce Car Noise With Police-Led Education Initiative

For years, a top complaint at city meetings has been loud cars that interrupt public events and disrupt sleep. Soon, East Lansing may try to address the issue through a police-led education campaign. 

Complaints about loud cars came into focus last year when the City Council passed an ordinance instructing ELPD not to pull over drivers to conduct pretextual stops. Pretextual stops are conducted for minor violations that are not considered safety risks. East Lansing joined many municipalities around the country in banning pretextual stops, with the goal of reducing bias in policing.

One provision in East Lansing’s ordinance, however, drew criticism from many community members at city meetings: Loud exhaust. 

Council passed the ordinance after learning about enforcement challenges. ELPD and other police departments are unable to pick up decibel readings on moving cars, making it hard to prove noise infractions on vehicles in court. 

Even with the enforcement challenges, speakers at city meetings have been critical of the decision because loud cars, particularly those with modified mufflers, are such a common complaint and the ordinance was seen as a step away from addressing the problem.

Tonight, the City Council will consider repealing the “loud exhaust” section of the ordinance. At council’s Dec. 9 meeting, the body approved a first reading of an amendment that would remove loud exhaust from the ordinance. With a second reading, the amendment would go into place. 

That doesn’t mean ELPD officers will begin ticketing drivers with excessively loud cars, City Manager Robert Belleman explained to East Lansing Info in an email. Rather, if the ordinance is amended, police will stop loud cars to educate drivers about noise laws. 

“The City could start issuing [tickets] immediately in instances where evidence exists to meet the current laws in effect,” Belleman wrote. “However, the plan is to spend time educating our community before starting enforcement. ELPD will [be] working with the officers on how the education effort will be rolled out.”

“The goal is not about issuing tickets and not about making pre-textual stops legal. Instead, from what I’ve learned and heard about this, the goal is to remove the ordinance provision that prevents the City and its officials from being able to address an issue that people living in, conducting business in, and visiting our downtown area and neighborhoods have complained about and indicate is negatively affecting their lives, properties, businesses, and enjoyment of this community. Again, ELPD intends to educate the community before enforcing this possible change in local law.”

Communities around Michigan are struggling to address loud cars. A bill is proposed to address the problem. 

East Lansing’s issues with loud cars did not start when the pretextual stops ordinance was put in place about a year ago, as residents have been raising the issue for years. 

Even before the ordinance was put in place, drivers were rarely punished for having loud cars. ELPD has issued only one ticket for loud exhaust since 2020, Belleman wrote in his email. 

Complaints about modified mufflers are not confined to East Lansing, as excessively loud cars racing down busy Woodward Avenue in metro-Detroit is a common grievance raised by residents. In 2024, state Rep. Natalie Price, whose district includes the area, introduced a bill to make noise laws enforceable against loud cars, and increase enforcement capabilities against modifying exhaust.

Christian Beswick, who works in constituent services in Price’s office explained that for a ticket to hold up in court for loud exhaust, a police officer would need to conduct a sound test – which is essentially impossible to do on busy corridors with plenty of traffic and buildings reflecting sound. 

“The current laws, as written, are not enforceable for that reason,” Beswick said. “So, what this bill does is it removes the requirement for that sound test to take place.” 

Drivers would have the opportunity to remove the modification to their exhaust to have the ticket dropped, Beswick added. 

If passed, the bill would also allow local law enforcement to enforce state laws on state roads.

“That’s the main goal, just to empower communities to be able to enforce their own laws,” Beswick said. 

It’s unclear if the bill will pass the Michigan legislature, which has been historically unproductive this session. Still, Beswick is optimistic about the possibility, saying Price’s office is currently seeking a Republican cosponsor for the bill. 

The city has asked its lobbyist to support legislation that addresses aftermarket modified exhaust systems, but not supported Price’s bill specifically, Belleman clarified.

Update: This story was updated to clarify how HB 5696 would increase enforcement on state roads.